Spring?

The weather is playing with my mind. Today was sunny and in the 60s, definitely more like early April than the beginning of February. My spring fever is even worse now that I've had a taste of April (damn you, weather!). We're supposed to get another kind of winter storm next week, too.

Well, here you are - the Rosemary earrings. Pink and sparkly, and very girly.

Earrings for the new year

My first new product for 2009, the Bronwen earrings! I first heard of this name when a good friend of mine from writing camp way back in the day told me that her roommate in college was named thus. She was Welsh. Except now I can't remember if it's spelled Bronwen or Bronwyn. Hmm...either way, check out the Bronwen earrings at the shop!

More tradeshows

I just listed the matching Margery necklace in the shop.

Earlier today I braved another tradeshow. I only went because I needed to re-stock some supplies, so I was happy to see that the vendor I usually get my aqua chalcedony brios from was back. I bought a few strands from him, which means I can again offer my bestseller, the Leslie earrings.

I also bought some liver of sulfur, so expect some antique-y looking pieces to appear in the shop soon, as well as Batterns flux and more pickling solution for my metalsmithing. I find that the paste flux I'm using now isn't as good as the Batterns, so hopefully this will make soldering go a little easier. Other than those and just a few more beads (apatite, more chrysoprase, turquoise, and quartz), there wasn't really that much new or exciting in the way of beads and gemstones, so I didn't leave with my usual haul.

And of course, this being the weekend before Christmas (still hard to believe!) all the other places I visited today were total madhouses.

Busy, busy

Last night I babysat my two most favorite little people in the world, and after they were happily snoozing away in dreamland, I had enough time to finish my custom project (that I can't reveal yet - I promise to post pictures after the holidays). Who knows, maybe you are the intended recipient!

And today, I braved the mall. Yes, I did. I figured I've put it off long enough. And was reminded again how much I loathe - absolutely loathe - malls and big box stores during the holidays. But, brave them I did, and crossed off a whole bunch of names on my Christmas/Hanukkah shopping list.

Amidst all of that, I managed to take some time to list a new pair of earrings in my Etsy shop. Quartz and pearls, and named Margery after medieval writer Margery Kempe, who I confess I've never heard of until now. I just really like her name!

Black tourmalines

Continuing with my author naming trend, these are the Maxine earrings, named after Maxine Hong Kingston. Black tourmaline rondelles hanging from vermeil links, they are a sophisticated addition to any wardrobe - and so versatile, as black pretty much goes with anything.

Also, my bribe worked! Mr Hazel has agreed (albeit reluctantly) to accompany me to another showing of Twilight this afternoon. Yay! The movie opened at #1 this weekend, which means they can move ahead with the sequel, New Moon - and I just read that those plans have been confirmed. This is great news and I am very excited.

I also posted a new book review at Paperback Musings!

Pearls and gold

The Daphne necklace, after Daphne du Maurier. I was reminded of this author after reading Alissa's book meme. I do remember liking both Rebecca the book as well as the movie version (mmm, Laurence Olivier).

I am winding down my extremely hectic week, and as I have a free day tomorrow, I am hoping to get a running start on stocking the shop for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There has been talk on the Etsy CREST boards about doing promotions for both shopping events. A friend of mine also commissioned multiple items as Christmas gifts, but I won't reveal the who, what, or where just yet lest I ruin the surprise.

Ready, set, go...

Go shopping

I must be on some kind of author kick, because I've named these earrings Maeve, after Maeve Binchy. The briolettes are made of this pretty white milky glass that turn iridescent in the sunlight.

Also, some of you may remember this, a little over a year ago. Well, guess what. Last month my old office - the one I left last year - asked me to come back, and offered me a promotion to sweeten the deal. And I accepted! This week is my last week at my current job, and will be going back to my old office on Monday and starting my new duties. It is a bit bittersweet, as I was just saying a few weeks back how much I love the new place after a year of settling in there. And I will miss the friends I've made. But, I am also excited to go back "home".

More "Bella"

I recreated another "Bella" but revamped her earwires into the handmade ones, which I think gives her a better flow. I also deliberately used indoor lighting for some of these photographs to emphasize the soft glow of the stones. It kind of reminds me of dinner by candlelight.

Check out Bella at the shop!

Etsy has now added a dedicated shop policy page to all the shops, where you can find all the information on shipping, payment, taxes, etc. You can get there by clicking on "Shop Policies" on the right hand side of a shop. I finally got around to doing mine - here it is!

And finally, just a quick update - AmeriCares now has a dedicated page for donations to China. If you haven't already, please consider helping out in China and Myanmar.

Bi-color quartz drops

These bi-color quartz step cut drops are gorgeous - the step cuts reflect the light beautifully and make the stones very sparkly. It's hard to capture in photographs - this was my best attempt, but even this doesn't do the stones justice. I just hope it sort of comes through when looking at the rest of the pictures in the shop.

These stones are so regal and gorgeous that I couldn't help but name them after royalty - specifically, Empress Eugenie of France, Napoleon III's wife. "Eugenie" is paired with white rice pearls and decorative vermeil circles, hanging from handmade and hammered gold-filled earwires.

Eugenie is now available - check out her other pictures!

Also, I am offering another Astrid necklace!

And check out the matching Leslie necklace that I finished. This was a custom order. The circle link really dressed up the piece and gave it a jazzier look.

Amethyst earrings

Amethyst nugget earrings with handmade gold-filled earwires, named "Emilia" after both my cousin and characters from Winter's Tale and Othello. I didn't realize it was such a popular name!

Emilia is now available at the shop.

I apologize for ending this post on a down note, but I have not been able to forget the searing images of the victims of both the Myanmar cyclone and the China earthquake. As if that wasn't enough, today I read a news article about the pandas in the Wolong research facility in Chengdu province, the same place where my zoo's giant pandas both came from. Apparently the pandas living in the research facility survived, but officials are unsure where they would be able to get their food and water. It is very sad.

I was researching options for donations and the best one seems to be this organization called AmeriCares. Their VP was featured today on the Washington Post, so this organization has been vetted by a respected news organization.

If you would like to help, their donation page for Myanmar is here, but as they don't have a dedicated page for China yet, they are directing people to their international disaster relief fund. This organization seems to be a good one because 98% of donations go toward their relief programs. Also there is the International Committe of the Red Cross, which is a remarkable organization in that they always seem to be the first ones on the ground once a disaster strikes.

I can't help but think, when I look at the pictures of the victims, that there but for the grace of God...it's very scary and very humbling.

Briolettes

I scored these pretty, pretty clear glass briolettes in the same style as the Elizabeth and Bella. The brios are really clear and pure. This pair is "Portia" after a character from Merchant of Venice, and she also dangles from gold-filled earwires that I made by hand.

Portia is now up at the shop!

At last count, it has now been raining for more than 24 hours. And every Sunday and Monday for the last five weeks (except, ironically enough, the week we were away on the cruise), it has poured. And it has been chilly.

Granted, my front yard looks very lush and the azalea bushes I nearly killed from neglect are now thriving again, but I am heartily sick of this rain. I've barely even had a chance to break out my new linen dresses because it's been too cold.

I had a major craving for a red velvet cupcake today. As all the bakeries that had them would have been closed by the time I got there, we settled for Cinnabons instead. But I'm still dreaming of that red velvet cake I had at Doughboys in L.A. a couple of years ago.

Blue crystal earrings

These are "Angela," after a derivative of my grandmother's name. Her real name is actually more complicated and unusual. She features a pair of beautiful blue dyed crystal beads dangling from vermeil earwires, with a matching necklace to be debuted tomorrow.

More pictures and details of Angela are available at the shop!

FEATURED!

So Angie from The Downtown Boutique has another blog called Rio Oso Designs, and today she told me that she started a new feature on there called "Thursday Thumbnails" - and that she picked my shop to be one of those featured today! I am the second post on the April 3 blog entry, so please check out her blog!

A huge thanks, Angie!

Smoky quartz earrings

So I really wanted to name something after my cousin Ryan, who is Highmaintenancemom's little bro, but I couldn't come up with a good girl's derivative of his name. I decided to call this piece "Camryn" after his girlfriend instead. This one's for you, too, Ryan!

She is made of these gorgeous smoky quartz faceted briolettes, hand wrapped in gold-filled wire. I then added gold-filled jump rings to dress her up and put the whole lot on vermeil earwires.

More pictures and details of Camryn are available at the shop! (Also notice the debut of the French poetry book from Mr Hazel in these pictures.)

And in the good news front, Margaret, Bella and another pair of Ahila have all sold! Thanks, Lisa!

Yesterday also saw the arrival of the dress form that I had ordered. I've been looking for one of these for a while now for displaying and photographing my necklaces because I realized it's hard to gauge the length and the overall look just by using those busts. But with the dress forms, they are in proportion to a real person so you can see where the necklaces will hang in relation to the neck and bust. My sister also was the one to tell me that they are called "dress forms" and not mannequins (which are different things), so I knew what to search for.

The one I bought is gorgeous, has a wooden base and neck, and can be extended up to 6'. It also has a really huge pair of boobs. The one I originally wanted to get didn't have nearly as big a pair, but Mr Hazel thought this one was better because it has, according to him, "more of a form." Yes, we all know what he meant by that!

Also, I think this makes for nice decoration. Gives a room that chic, "Paris atelier" sort of a look.


I've retaken shots of some of the necklaces and will continue doing so until all of the existing necklaces have this picture. Here are some I've put up already:



I kind of feel like I ought to put some clothes on her.

New shop item: more pink earrings

These earrings are "Bella," named after one of my favorite aunts who actually has a much longer and more complicated name, but I thought Bella was a pretty appropriate derivative. She is similar to the Elizabeth earrings, only the glass briolettes are translucent instead of opaque and I used gold-filled wire and vermeil earwires instead of sterling. I thought this picture, where the earrings reflect the words off the pages of the book, was pretty cool.

More details and pictures of Bella are available at the shop!

I've been keenly following the events in Pyongyang from the last day or two, with the historic arrival of the New York Philharmonic. This article made me teary. As a universal language that embraces all cultures, music really is a powerful tool that brings two disparate countries and cultures together. I would really love to watch this concert, especially because part of the repertoire is Dvorak's 9th Symphony (the famous "New World" Symphony), one of my all-time favorite pieces of music.

I still remember sitting in my room as a kid, listening to the magical, soaring, haunting largo movement over and over again. I hope the North Koreans love it equally well.

New shop item: sky blue earrings

Ooh, I love how these turned out. It's very rare that I work in gold, but these stones definitely called for some fancy gold components. And blue and gold remind me of Versailles.

These earrings are the "Stephanie," named after another good friend of mine. She is made of sky blue quartz briolettes, gold-filled wire, and gold vermeil earwires.

More details and pictures of Stephanie are available at the shop!

My sister also requested "Sophie" with a chain instead of the blue ribbon, so I'm happy to say the revamped Sophie is now available on reserve.

Mr Hazel took me to a fancy new steakhouse downtown for dinner last night. I ordered raw oysters for my appetizer (I love me some oysters) and requested some vinegar to go with it. I expected them to bring out a bottle of plain old vinegar like they do at Red Lobster (yes, I admit, in addition to the high brow, we also do low), but instead they brought out this fancy aged vinegar dressed in chopped garlic. It was to die for. Oh, and the steak wasn't too bad, either. For dessert, I had the crepe souffle, and a grapefruit martini for my cocktail.

Yum.

Marie Antoinette-ish?

I worked on this for a major portion of the day. I used amazonite beads on gold-filled wire, and the end result kind of reminds me of something from Marie Antoinette's era, especially with the gold and blue combination. The pendant is actually a pendant frame but I used it by itself for a different sort of look, and hung a white nugget pearl from a 14K gold-plated chain. The pendant is approximately 2" long and 1.5" wide, and the whole necklace is around 20" long, finished off with a gold toggle clasp at the back.

Here are a few more shots and close-ups.



I am having a pretty productive day off. I filled out my business license application and it's all set to be mailed (I hope I did this correctly), put gas in my car (was running on fumes) and cleaned the inside (it was filthy). I also purchased more supplies at the craft store, which of course was mobbed by people getting ready for the holidays. Christmas music was blaring from the speakers and decorations were crammed into every aisle. I'm not even mentally ready for Thanksgiving yet, let alone Christmas!

A couple of months ago when football season started I joined a fantasy football league for kicks with people from my old office, even though I know absolutely nothing about football. Each week we are supposed to set our lineup, except I never did this because 1) I was too lazy 2) I didn't know what I was doing 3) I don't know who the heck any of my players on my team are. Finally, sick of my abysmal 0-6 record (luckily I am not in last place - I am tied for last place, which is a big difference), I finally went on the league website and found out that I have, apparently, been competing for weeks with an injured quarterback, an injured running back, and an injured wide receiver. Ha! But I have now remedied this, so brace yourselves for my team's upcoming, unstoppable winning streak. (Or not).

Cameo and gold

I'm sad that this piece didn't photograph very well, but I hope you still like it. I tried something I've never done before - worked in yellow gold! Since I am a huge fan of the white metals (white gold, platinum, silver), and haven't worn yellow gold since I was a little girl, I've created my pieces exclusively in sterling silver up until now.

Lately, however, I've been loving the green and gold color combination, so I decided to work it into this piece.

The beads are yellow aventurine in gold-filled wire, topped with a green cameo pendant, all hanging from approximately 30" in length of gold-filled chain. This is a very long necklace and doesn't need a clasp.

When I see the necklace in person I really like it, but the more I stare at the pictures the less sure I get. Does the placement of the bead in the center look right to you? The problem I see here is that the bail (the gold triangular thing where the center bead is hooked to) makes it seem like there's too much going on. However, the bail came with the setting and is soldered shut, so it pretty much has to stay - my tools aren't strong enough to remove it.

I'm going to let this one stew for a while and maybe I'll take a fresh look at it again in a few days.


DINNER REPORT

Since Mr HD was coming home late tonight I decided to treat myself for dinner, so I stopped by the local halal meat place for some lamb kabobs. I love coming to this place because in addition to take-out food, they also carry some Middle Eastern grocery items. While waiting for my order I perused the shelves, and had a great time imagining a kitchen in far away Cairo where things such as orange blossom water, grape leaves, carob molasses, grenadine syrup, date molasses, and rose leaves jelly are everyday staples for some family. For me, it evoked images of sun-drenched deserts, the great pyramids stretching to the skies; of mysterious back alleys and trade routes that are centuries old, caravans and camels shimmering in the harsh Arabian sun.

Though I have no idea what to do with those ingredients, I wanted to buy them anyway, just to keep my imagination running.